The League of Women Voters of California (LWVC), an organization that encourages informed and active participation in government and influences public policy, needed an effective end-of-year fundraising strategy to reach its audience and, of course, its fundraising goals.

That’s where Mixte came in. We were tasked with developing compelling content that would resonate with audiences and move them to donate to the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund. Funds would support the organization in building tools to ensure equal access to information for California residents to actively participate in all levels of civic life.

Introducing “Unlock Democracy”

We know that millions of people in California are intentionally being “locked out of democracy” through structured and widespread election misinformation. Civic engagement is every person’s right, but not every person has an equal opportunity to make their voice heard.

With this in our hearts, we developed the Unlock Democracy campaign to tie our end-of-year communications together under one umbrella. In addition to raising money, this campaign would bring attention to the threats against our democracy and build momentum among LWVC’s base heading into the 2022 midterm election cycle.

Watch as Executive Director Stephanie Doute explains a bit more about this campaign in the video below.

Goals & Objectives:

• Meet end of year fundraising budget goals to bolster the production and distribution of nonpartisan voter education tools, including:
  • Voter’s Edge, an online ballot planning tool
  • Easy Voter Guide, a community-reviewed ballot guide
  • Pros & Cons, an explanation of supporting and opposing arguments of state ballot propositions
• Increase end of year giving by 10 percent from the previous year
• Use year-end campaign as a springboard to energize base for 2022 midterms

How We Did It:

With hyper-detailed, vigilant planning we ensured all teams worked efficiently throughout this fast-paced campaign timeline. Together we…

• Created the “Unlock Democracy” campaign
• Designed and drafted content for print mail
• Edited and provided formal recommendations for a print newsletter
• Produced videos and social assets
• Developed and sent close to ten emails – including outreach for Giving Tuesday

Outcome(s):

The campaign raised 44 percent more in funds compared to LWVC’s previous end-of-year campaign and 63 percent more than the campaign goal!

This has positioned the organization to be ready to address and counter the structured mis/disinformation machines seeking to undermine our democracy and elections as we move into the 2022 election cycle.

Key Takeaways:

Creating a branded campaign not only distinguished the end-of-year fundraising push, but it also helped to amplify the issue at hand. 

By making “Unlocking Democracy” a sub-branded campaign – as opposed to including the information in LWVC’s regular communications – we made specific references to ongoing threats to democracy as a distinct cause that required action. From there, we were able to demonstrate how the LWVC Education Fund’s services and tools are necessary to meet this moment and worthy of support from donors.

Email and print mailers proved to be effective channels to reach our audience.

The “Unlocking Democracy” campaign and messaging were easily adaptable across print and digital platforms, allowing us to deliver branded materials that audiences could touch and hold as well as open in their email. Any messages sent over email drove people back to a simple, branded landing page where they could make a contribution.

Project timelines make the world go ‘round.

Collaborating with a team on a fast-paced timeline with a lot of deadlines was only possible with a thoughtful and detailed timeline that took holidays into consideration. This timeline was developed 2-3 months in advance, which was critical to ensure all pieces were planned well and in advance, and everyone had all the resources they needed well beforehand.

Conclusion

LWVC is starting off 2022 by continuing its work to fight for democracy and engage its base. To stay connected, visit LWVC’s website – and sign up to get their emails, or follow them on social media.

Did this spark your interest in improving your digital marketing, public relations, or strategic communications? Introduce yourself here and let us know how we can support the impactful work you’re doing!